Today on the Kevin O’Connor show, KOC is joined by Tom Haberstroh to ask some big questions in the NBA world: Are the Houston Rockets done? What teams have the most to prove in the 2nd half of the season? Which young players might break out and which coaches are on the hot seat?
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Then, the pair look at two of the hottest names in college basketball: Darius Acuff and Darryn Peterson. How does Acuff’s 49-point explosion affect his draft stock? Is Peterson’s self-check-out gambit for Kansas threatening his no. 1 draft pick potential?
Later, KOC is joined by Daman Rangoola, Sam Esfandiari & Claire De Lune from All-Star Weekend to talk the latest with the Lakers and Warriors. That and more on today’s show!
(1:11) Contenders with the most to prove (13:38) Young players to watch (20:26) NBA coaches on the hot seat (33:46) Kings decimated by injuries (37:12) Darius Acuff drops 49 points vs. Alabama (41:44) What’s going on with Darryn Peterson? (56:32) Daman Rangoola & Sam Esfandiari join from All-Star (1:43:10) Claire De Lune joins from All-Star
HOUSTON, TEXAS – FEBRUARY 11: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets looks on during the second half of the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Toyota Center on February 11, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images)
Nate Tice & Charles McDonald join forces to answer the NFL offseason’s biggest looming questions submitted by the audience. The duo start off by diving into the New York Giants’ potential NFL Draft plans with the 5th overall pick, how the Chicago Bears can fix their defensive line and whether or not Brian Daboll is a good fit with QB Cam Ward as the new Tennessee Titans OC.
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Next, Nate & Charles discuss whether or not the Los Angeles Chargers can fix their offensive line in one offseason, if the Jacksonville Jaguars defense can take a leap next season, who the Denver Broncos should be targeting in free agency (Tyler Allgeier?) and what our expectations for the 2026 Washington Commanders should look like.
Later, the two hosts wrap up with thoughts on the New England Patriots’ upcoming offseason decisions, why Sean McVay changed to a duo run game style with the Los Angeles Rams, whether Sean McDermott was really the problem with the Buffalo Bills and more.
(44:15) – Biggest offseason questions: Patriots, Rams, Bills & more
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) warms up before the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
The Cooligans welcome former MLS head coach and analyst Giovanni Savarese for a deep dive into the 2026 MLS season. Gio shares his predictions, breakout teams to watch, and how the league continues to evolve ahead of a massive 2026 on home soil. The conversation also turns to the USMNT, as the guys assess expectations, pressure, and what success should realistically look like at the 2026 World Cup.
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Christian and Alexis then tackle the troubling racist incident involving Vinícius Júnior during Real Madrid’s clash with Benfica. They unpack how these situations are currently handled, question whether the responsibility to stop a match unfairly falls on the player experiencing abuse, and debate what meaningful structural changes could better protect players moving forward.
Finally, it’s a jam-packed Champions League recap. Folarin Balogun shines in a statement performance against Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus suffer a shocking defeat to Galatasaray, and Bodø/Glimt pull off a stunning win over Inter Milan. The boys react to all the drama, surprises, and what these results mean going forward.
Timestamps:
(6:30) – 2026 MLS preview and predictions
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(30:00) – Gio Savarese’s USMNT World Cup outlook
(39:00) – Vinicius Junior deals with racism again: time for a rule change?
(59:00) – Folarin Balogun shines in Champions League loss to PSG
(1:04:30) – Serie A teams suffer shocking Champions League losses
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🚨 Headlines
💔 Gone too soon: Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore was found dead on Saturday with a gunshot wound suspected to be self-inflicted. The former Purdue standout was 25 years old.
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⛳️ Bridgeman breaks through: Jacob Bridgeman avoided a Sunday collapse and held off a surging Rory McIlroy to secure a one-shot victory at the Genesis Invitational, his first win on the PGA Tour.
🏈 Cignetti signs extension: Curt Cignetti signed a new contract with Indiana that will pay him $13 million per season through 2033. The only other college football coaches earning that much annually? LSU’s Lane Kiffin and Georgia’s Kirby Smart.
🏀 Lakers honor Riley: The Lakers unveiled a bronze statue of Pat Riley outside their arena on Sunday. It fittingly stands between statues of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with whom Riley won four championships as head coach of the “Showtime” Lakers.
🏁 Back-to-back: After going winless in 2025, Tyler Reddick has opened 2026 with two straight victories, adding Sunday’s double overtime thriller to last week’s Daytona 500. He’s the first driver since 2009 to win the first two races of the NASCAR Cup Series season.
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🥇 USA 2, Canada 1 (OT)
Jack Hughes, American hero. (Elsa/Getty Images)
46 years to the day after a bunch of unheralded amateurs stunned the heavily favored Soviet Union en route to winning Olympic gold, the U.S. men’s hockey team engineered another epic victory.
ICYMI: Team USA toppled longtime nemesis Canada, 2-1 (OT), on Sunday to win their first Olympic gold in men’s hockey since the famed 1980 “Miracle on Ice.” Devils star Jack Hughes scored the decisive goal, ripping a shot past Jordan Binnington less than three minutes into 3-on-3 overtime.
“I love the USA. I love my teammates. It’s unbelievable,” said Hughes postgame, his mouth bloody and two of his front teeth missing after taking a stick to the face earlier in Sunday’s game.
“It’s just a ballsy, gutsy win. That’s American hockey right there. That’s a great Canadian team, but we’re USA. We’re so proud to be American. Tonight was all for the country.”
Player of the game: While Hughes was the hero, Connor Hellebuyck was the star. The three-time Vezina Trophy winner (best NHL goaltender) stopped 41 of 42 shots, none bigger than his stick save on Devon Toews at the doorstep.
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Talk about an epic photo…
(Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Honoring Johnny Hockey: If not for a horrible tragedy that cost him and his brother their lives, Johnny Gaudreau would have been part of this U.S. team. His former teammates and friends made sure to honor him in their moment of glory, skating around the rink with his jersey and bringing out his kids for the team photo.
“What you saw today was the build of a generation, inspired perhaps by that team that lost in 2010 in Vancouver to the Sidney Crosby golden goal in overtime. Or the team where T.J. Oshie had all those shootout goals in 2014. That’s when these guys were doing what you’re doing — watching on TV.”
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“So for all the young people out there — not just hockey but all the Olympics you’ve watched — those dreams are formed now. Go chase them and go get them, because our country loves sports and it brings us together unlike anything else. And if you didn’t know that, if you haven’t been watching the last two weeks, you saw it in Team USA Hockey.”
🥇 Final medal tally
(Yahoo Sports)
Two weeks and 116 medal events later, the 2026 Winter Olympics have concluded.
Medal leaders:
🇳🇴 Norway: The Norwegians dominated the medal table to extend their lead as the all-time winningest nation in Winter Olympics history. Their 18 gold and 41 total medals are both the most ever, breaking their own records of 16 gold and 39 total medals from 2022.
🇺🇸 USA: The Americans won 12 gold medals, exceeding their previous high of 10 set in 2002 in Salt Lake City. Team USA also finished solo second in both gold medals and total medals for the first time since 1952.
🇳🇱 Netherlands: No nation over-indexes in a single sport quite like the Dutch, whose 20 medals at Milan Cortina came entirely from long (13) and short track speed skating (7).
🇮🇹 Italy: The Italians won by far their most gold (10) and total medals (30) at a single Winter Games, continuing a trend that sees countries perform better when they host the Olympics.
Lionel Messi and Son Heung-Min hug ahead of their season-opener. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Los Angeles — Inter Miami’s title defense got off to a rocky start in Saturday’s 3-0 loss to LAFC, which came in front of 75,673 fans at LA Memorial Coliseum. That’s the largest opening weekend crowd in MLS history and the second-largest ever.
Meanwhile, in Orlando: NY Red Bulls beat Orlando City, 2-1, with a starting lineup that included Julian Hall (17), Matthew Dos Santos (17) and Adri Mehmeti (16), marking the first time in MLS history that a team started three players under 18 in a regular-season match.
Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
Fort Myers, Florida — Spring training has officially arrived. All 30 MLB teams were in action over the weekend, giving baseball fans the opportunity to get caught up with … well, everyone.
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As a reminder: Many of MLB’s best players will be departing camp in the coming days to compete in the World Baseball Classic, which begins next Wednesday, March 4.
(Ethan Hyman/News Observer)
Washington, D.C. — No. 3 Duke took down top-ranked Michigan, 68-63, on Saturday behind another huge game from freshman Cameron Boozer (18 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists). Look for the Blue Devils to take over the No. 1 spot in this week’s AP poll.
More from Saturday: No. 4 Arizona beat No. 2 Houston, Cincinnati stunned No. 8 Kansas, UCLA upset No. 10 Illinois and No. 23 BYU took down No. 6 Iowa State. Full scoreboard.
(Lon Horwedel/AP Photo)
Detroit — Claressa Shields adjusted to an early onslaught from familiar rival Franchon Crews-Dezurn in their rematch Sunday to retain her undisputed heavyweight titles and stay undefeated (18-0, 3 KOs).
Brighton midfielder James Milner made his 654th career Premier League appearance in Saturday’s win over Brentford, breaking Gareth Barry’s record for the most in league history. The 40-year-old, who debuted in 2002, has played for six different clubs: Liverpool (230 caps), Manchester City (147), Aston Villa (100), Newcastle (94), Leeds (48) and Brighton (35).
Wild stat: 876 other players have made at least 100 Premier League appearances since Milner’s debut, and entering Saturday he’d played either with or against 875 of them. The only one who’d been missing? Brentford’s Nathan Collins, who came on as a sub in Saturday’s game.
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🏀 16 straight losses
The outlook isn’t brilliant in Sacramento, where the Kings have lost a franchise-worst 16 straight games while losing three players to season-ending injuries (Domantas Sabonis, Zach Lavine and De’Andre Hunter).
Tanking rankings: Sacramento’s futility comes amid a league-wide tanking epidemic, with over one-third of teams either trying to lose or simply not good enough to win. Where do the NBA-worst Kings (12-46) land in our tanking power rankings? Find out here.
(Mohamed Farag/Getty Images)
🎾 14 countries
Carlos Alcaraz dispatched Arthur Fils in just 50 minutes on Saturday in Doha to win the Qatar Open, giving the world No. 1 an ATP Tour victory in his 14th different country. At the age of 22. Three weeks after he completed the career Grand Slam.
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Trophy case: Alcaraz has now won 26 tour-level titles since 2021, with six coming in the U.S., four in the UK, four in Spain, two in France and one each in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Croatia, Italy, Japan, Monaco, the Netherlands and Qatar.
🌹 45th season
UCLA won’t be leaving the Rose Bowl after all, with the school announcing on Saturday that it will play at least the 2026 season in the iconic Pasadena stadium it has called home for the last 44 years.
Backdrop: UCLA has been exploring a move to SoFi Stadium despite their Rose Bowl lease running through 2043. This prompted the city and stadium to sue the school for “irreparable harm,” and a court date is set for Friday.
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📺 Watchlist: Monday, Feb. 23
Cade Cunningham is powering the Pistons to their best season in decades. (David Jensen/Getty Images)
🏀 Spurs at Pistons
Two of the NBA’s best teams meet tonight in Detroit (7pm ET, Peacock), where the first-place Pistons (42-13), who’ve won five straight games, host the second-place Spurs (40-16), who’ve won eight straight games.
MVP watch: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (-140 at BetMGM) and Nikola Jokić (+310) are still the favorites, but Pistons star Cade Cunningham (+500) isn’t far behind. Victor Wembanyama (+2500) is a distant fourth, but you can’t count him out the way he and the Spurs are playing.
🏀 NCAA Basketball
No. 16 North Carolina hosts No. 21 Louisville in the first game of tonight’s doubleheader (7pm, ESPN), followed by No. 8 Kansas hosting No. 2 Houston in the nightcap (9pm, ESPN).
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Load management? Freshman Darryn Peterson has been sensational for Kansas, but he’s also missed — or exited early from — more than half of their games, leading some to question whether the potential No. 1 pick is protecting himself for the NBA Draft. “He hasn’t finished games,” said head coach Bill Self. “There is a way to change the narrative: Play. Finish.”
More to watch:
⚽️ EPL: Everton vs. Manchester United (3pm, USA) … United, riding a nine-game unbeaten streak in league play, will climb into the top four with a win or draw.
🏀 Unrivaled: Lunar Owls vs. Vinyl (7:30pm, TNT); Mist vs. Breeze (8:45pm, TNT) … Here are the standings entering the penultimate night of the regular season.
⛳️ TGL: Atlanta vs. Boston (5pm, ESPN); Atlanta vs. Los Angeles (9pm, ESPN2) … Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood, and more are in action tonight.
Got plan tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events happening in your city. Get tickets now!
🏀 NBA trivia
(Luiza Moraes/Getty Images)
Pat Riley, whose bronze statue now sits outside the Lakers’ arena, is the fifth-winningest head coach in NBA history (1,210 wins).
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Question: Who are the only four head coaches with more wins?
Hint: Six combined NBA championships (five from one guy).
Answer at the bottom.
🇮🇹 That’s a wrap
The Olympic rings are displayed during the Closing Ceremony. (Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
Trivia answer: Gregg Popovich (1,390 wins); Don Nelson (1,335); Lenny Wilkens (1,332); Jerry Sloan (1,221)
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After the 2025 NFL trade deadline passed, Breece Hall was the last man standing with the New York Jets. Hall watched as both Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams were traded away, making him the physical embodiment of that Will Smith gif from the end of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”
Hall finished out the season with the Jets and now has an opportunity for a change of scenery as well. If his comments Saturday are any indication, Hall seems very open to the possibility of playing elsewhere in the immediate future.
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When asked how he’s feeling about the Jets in the long term, Hall didn’t exactly commit to the franchise. He told the New York Post, “I don’t know,” before adding, “I’ve addressed this for the last six, seven months now. But now I’m just kind of like whatever happens, happens.”
It’s not the strongest response, though one that probably hints at Hall testing the free-agent waters. While Hall wasn’t traded at the deadline, there were rumors the Jets tried to move the 24-year-old running back. There were also rumors Hall wanted out of New York. Neither side got their wish, as Hall remained on the team.
That wasn’t Hall’s desired outcome, but he still turned in a solid season. Hall rushed for a career-high 1,065 yards in 2025, scoring four touchdowns. He also caught 36 passes for 350 yards and one receiving score. While Hall didn’t score much, it’s tough to put that on him. The Jets ranked 29th in points scored last season.
That’s been pretty consistent during Hall’s tenure with the team. In his four years with the Jets, the highest the team has ranked in points scored is 24th. A former second-round pick, Hall has shown potential but has constantly been saddled with terrible offensive environments.
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This offseason will provide him the chance to prove he’s been held back by poor situations. Hall is among the best running backs on the market, and could join a strong team ahead of the 2026 NFL season. With a stronger quarterback, and a better line, Hall might be on the verge of a true breakout season.
That feels … unlikely … to happen if he sticks with the Jets. New York appears deep in a rebuild after last year’s big free-agent signing Justin Fields failed to progress. The Jets pick second in the 2026 NFL Draft and could be looking to grab a quarterback with that pick. While some rookies have shown the ability to immediately lift a franchise like Jayden Daniels in his rookie year, that’s not the common experience (see: Caleb Williams and Drake Maye in their rookie seasons).
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Hall is definitely aware of that, and could prioritize going to a situation where he can both thrive and win games. He hasn’t done much of the latter over his career. Hall is just 22-46 since being drafted by the Jets.
After four years of losing, it certainly sounds like the running back is ready for a change.
Who will get a seat in the NFL’s game of head coach musical chairs this offseason? Yahoo Sports’ Andrew Siciliano and Jori Epstein predict what coaches will land at all nine openings and why they should go there. Plus, Andrew sits down with Los Angeles Rams safety Quentin Lake to discuss the firing of Mike Tomlin as well as the upcoming playoff matchup at Chicago. Andrew also talks to Jacksonville Jaguars legend Maurice Jones-Drew to get his opinions on the head coach hiring cycle.
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(5:15) – Dante Moore returns to Oregon
(10:20) – Head coach matchmaker
(29:50) – Maurice Jones Drew joins the show
(53:50) – Rams DB Quentin Lake joins the show
(1:09:50) – One More Thing
Will Quentin Lake and the Los Angeles Rams get a playoff win in Chicago? (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros break down the latest soccer headlines, starting with reports that USMNT striker Josh Sargent could be headed back to MLS with Toronto FC. Is it a smart career move or a major step backward for the American forward? The guys also react to rumors linking Timo Werner to the San Jose Earthquakes and debate whether the club made a massive mistake by failing to keep star winger Cristian Espinoza. Plus, with Chucky Lozano’s exit from San Diego seemingly inevitable, they discuss who the club should target as his replacement.
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Former Premier League defender Anton Ferdinand then joins the show to preview the West Ham vs. Tottenham derby and relive his legendary stoppage-time equalizer against Spurs in 2005. They also chat West Ham’s tough season so far and how the club can push forward to avoid relegation.
Finally, the guys debate whether Real Madrid made a massive mistake by firing Xabi Alonso and what it means for the club’s future. Christian and Alexis wrap things up with their AFCON Final predictions as Senegal and Morocco prepare to battle for continental glory.
Timestamps:
(6:45) – Josh Sargent heading back to MLS? Smart move or disaster?
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(17:30) – Timo Werner is headed to San Jose: redemption tour or flop?
(30:15) – Chucky Lozano is leaving San Diego – who will replace him?
(37:15) – Anton Ferdinand joins The Cooligans
(57:00) – Xabi Alonso now Real Madrid’s biggest enemy?
Divisional round weekend is right around the corner and we have Matt Harmon and Joel Smyth here to get you ready. The two preview each game and provide their favorite matchups and prop bets along the way. Smyth also shares his favorite DFS lineup for Divisional weekend.
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(5:00) #6 Bills @ #1 Broncos
(21:50) #6 49ers @ #1 Seahawks
(37:35) #5 Texans @ #2 Patriots
(49:00) #5 Rams @ #2 Bears
(1:01:50) Joel’s Divisional Round DFS Lineup
Divisional round weekend is right around the corner and we have Matt Harmon and Joel Smyth here to get you ready. The two preview each game and provide their favorite matchups and prop bets along the way. Smyth also shares his favorite DFS lineup for Divisional weekend.
The Los Angeles Dodgers did it again. The defending back-to-back World Series champions have had yet another big-time offseason. After adding star closer Edwin Díaz, they went out on Thursday night and brought top free-agent outfielder Kyle Tucker into their already star-studded lineup, solidifying them even more as the Evil Empire of baseball.
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On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman talk about the shocking—at least to some—move of Los Angeles once again bolstering their roster as they look for the first three-peat in baseball since the New York Yankees’ 1990s dynasty. With the Tucker deal coming in at four years, $240 million, should Commissioner Rob Manfred start to worry about the perception the Dodgers are giving off to opposing fans with their free agent spending?
Later, Jordan and Jake discuss the Boston Red Sox adding one of the big-arm free agents, Ranger Suárez, to their already crowded starting pitching depth chart and why he will be an interesting fit in their rotation. They then get into the Yankees trading for Ryan Weathers and the Arizona Diamondbacks acquiring Nolan Arenado from the St. Louis Cardinals before giving an update on Team USA’s newest roster additions. The guys close the show by making their picks for this week’s edition of The Good, The Bad, and The Uggla.
1:39 – The Opener: Kyle Tucker to the Dodgers
20:36 – Red Sox sign Ranger Suárez
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43:29 – Scott Boras Scoreboard update
46:10 – Around the League: Trade news
1:01:48 – Team USA roster update
1:08:09 – The Good, The Bad & The Uggla
Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images
(Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Kevin O’Connor is joined by Jason Timpf to check in with unhappy fan bases across the NBA. They discuss whether the criticism of Karl Anthony-Towns is fair and offer solutions to the problems in New York. Then, they break down the root of Atlanta’s issues since the Trae Young trade. Plus, what’s going on in Los Angeles and can it even be fixed?
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Next, KOC shares why Collin Murray-Boyles could be the next Draymond Green and why the Celtics-Pistons matchup is the game of the week. Who should the Pistons target before the trade deadline? KOC gives his picks! Plus, is Ja Morant’s stock rising? Do the Timberwolves need to make a trade to find success this season?
Later, Justin Boone joins to discuss why the Buffalo Bills parted ways with Sean McDermott, recap the wild NFL divisional games and preview the upcoming championship weekend.
(0:15) Jason Timpf joins
(1:23) Unhappy fan bases: New York Knicks
(9:18) Unhappy fan bases: Atlanta Hawks
(15:49) Unhappy fan bases: Los Angeles Lakers
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(25:16) Collin Murray-Boyles = Draymond Green
(29:13) Celtics vs. Pistons preview
(41:56) Is Ja Morant’s stock rising back up?
(49:19) Do Timberwolves need to make a trade?
(1:06:23) All-Star starters announced
(1:10:26) NFL 6 Points! with Justin Boone
Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks reacts during the game against the Phoenix Suns at Madison Square Garden on January 17, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images)
